Chinese official criticizes Chen independence `plot'

People First Party legislators Fu Kun-chi, left, and Feng Ting-kuo yesterday speak at a press conference where they announced that they would press charges against President Chen Shui-bian for treason at the Taiwan High Court Prosecutor's Office because of his pro-independence declaration on Sunday night. Feng's poster reads, ``Chen Shui-bian, declare Taiwanese independence if you've got the guts.'' PHOTO: LIAO CHEN-HUEI, TAIPEI TIMES

Chinese Minister Li Zhaoxing (李肇星) said yesterday that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) would become a "criminal in history" if he continued to promote formal independence for Taiwan.

"Don't listen to local leaders," Li told Taiwanese reporters in Beijing. "Whoever wants to split away will become a criminal in history."

Li the comments in response to Chen's statement on Sunday night that Taiwan should pursue independence. Chen also restated his goal of enacting a new constitution.

"Taiwan must be independent," Chen said on Sunday at a dinner to mark the 25th anniversary of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, a pro-independence group based in the US and formed by overseas Taiwanese.

"Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country outside of the People's Republic of China, and to pursue independence is the common and long-held ideal of the Taiwanese people," he said.

Li that China would resort to its "Anti-Secession" Law to act against Taiwan should Taipei seek independence.

"The Anti-Secession Law was not enacted to be put aside and do nothing. We will use it when necessary, but Chen Shui-bian's plot to seek independence is doomed to fail," Li said on the sidelines of China's National People's Congress (NPC).

Chinese Wen Jiabao (溫家寶) also seemed to refer to Chen in his speech at the NPC.

"We will maintain the policy of `one country, two systems' and trying our best to achieve Taiwan's reunification with the motherland through peaceful means. We are resolutely opposed to Taiwan seeking de jure independence through judicial interpretation and are opposed to all acts seeking independence," Wen said.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council yesterday backed up Chen's appeals, saying that China has maintained its political and military oppression of Taiwan while ignoring that neither side of the Taiwan Strait has any jurisdiction over the other.

The White House has been silent about Chen's remarks, and has not sought an explanation from Taiwan's representative office in Washington, sources said yesterday.

Although Washington understands that Chen's remarks were made to shore up pan-green support ahead of the presidential election, sources said, they come at an especially sensitive juncture in US-China relations, with US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Tom Christensen visiting China, and China's assistant minister of foreign affairs for North America He Yafei (何亞非) visiting the US.

Reaction academics in Washington was mixed, with some dismissing Chen's remarks as a mere election ploy while others said the president had violated his inaugural pledges and deserved a strong rebuke from the White House.

Heritage Foundation researcher John Tkacik said that Taiwan should handle matters pertaining to sovereignty and national identity in steps, and that it had to develop the ability to properly defend itself before tackling issues related to national identity.

Otherwise, he said, Taiwan's efforts to assert its sovereignty would be ignored by the international community.

The pan-blue camp, however, were likely to resist the effort to beef up Taiwan's military, leading to further conflict over the military budget and a stalling of Chen's agenda, Tkacik said.

Center Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) researcher Derek Mitchell said that Washington didn't welcome Chen's remarks because they put the US in a difficult position.

However, "Chen is a politician," and the US is used to seeing him resort to extremes to shore up support among pro-independence-minded voters, Mitchell said.

He added that Chen's latest remarks would further lessen Washington's confidence in him during his last year in office, leading to increased scrutiny of his actions and remarks by Washington policymakers.

Chen face limits to implementing his latest remarks via democratic mechanisms, Mitchell said, adding that if the Taiwanese president forced such changes on his country, the situation in the Taiwan Strait would become tense.

Washington not put too much stock in Chen's remarks, because his influence is on the wane, Mitchell said.

The US should instead pay more attention to the DPP's presidential candidates, he said.

Additional reporting by Jewel Huang